Our Story

The journey begins with a trip back in time to a little girl who loved all things wheat. Buttered noodles, cheerios, and dinner rolls were top contenders in my favorite menu items, but one of my most vivid reoccurring childhood memories involves a toaster, salted butter, and a key ingredient that brings an image to mind that most children of the late 80's/early 90's will recognize: Domino Sugar and Cinnamon. It's red metal cap with punched holes for sprinkling sat atop a white container that held an image of a character. The one that graced our cabinet most often was a penguin. Back in the day there were no flip-top plastic lids. No ma'am. Rather to stop the contents from pouring out of the red lid when not in use, a small round cardboard piece was positioned inside the rim. In our home we kept an extra red lid without that piece right next to the bottle, saving cinnamon and sugar toast loving children like myself time. Rather than prying out the cardboard piece with a fork - all we had to do was swap the lid, dust our buttered toast, and then replace the cap with the one fitted with the cardboard cutout. Mmm. I can taste it as I write this. 

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While I am the sole baker at Bespoke, the events leading up to the birthing of Bespoke Bakery are about my little family, as a whole. 

In 2021, after years of praying, our son came into this world. At the time I had entered the world of Sour Dough and had begun to learn all about its benefits. I came to love my morning routine of waking up to not only feed our son, but the little jar of starter that sat on the counter. As my Jacob grew older and was nearing the time for table food I really began to explore how to cook with sourdough in other ways, including using it as a thickener for soups. One day in the midst of searching for information on the shelf-life and storage of flour, I came across an article that mentioned Wheat Berries. Though our family had been on a journey to grow our food and source from local regenerative farms, including raw milk, I somehow had not considered locally sourcing wheat. In fact, I had no idea that one could even mill wheat in their own home. Not long after, the mail truck pulled up to our house and a book I had ordered arrived. As I flipped through its pages I realized that much of the book was about the history of wheat and how it had been altered over time. But what I was not expecting to read was a study within the pages of that book relating to a topic that was very near to my heart. Infertility. 

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In her book, Home Grown Flour, Sue Becker shares the following research:

“The value of using only freshly milled flour for baking was demonstrated in a German study of rats that were fed diets consisting of 50% flour or bread.
Group 1 consumed freshly ground flour.
Group 2 was fed bread made from freshly ground flour.
Group 3 consumed the same flour as Group 1, but after it had been stored for 15 days.
Group 4 was fed bread made from the flour that was stored for 15 days.
Group 5 was fed white flour.
After four generations, only the rats from Groups 1 and 2-which were fed freshly ground flour or bread made with freshly ground flour-maintained their fertility.
The rats in Groups 3, 4 and 5 had become infertile. Four generations of rats is believed to be equivalent to 100 years for humans.”

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I had struggled with infertility for years. The birth of our son was nothing short of a literal miracle. A reminder that God is the almighty restorer; bringing life forth from situations and things once thought to be too far gone to repair. 

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For me, family is what matters most. I grew up eating family meals around the dinner table each night, straying only from that routine on Friday evenings to eat pizza in the living room on TV trays as our family watched the TGIF lineup together. 

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I've been milling flour for our family for over a year, sharing what I create with family and friends. I may be the one doing the baking, but the story of Bespoke Bakery is the weaving together of people from local regenerative family farms with those seeking to return to the traditions of the past. The desire to bring something back to life that was once thought dead runs deep within me. Wheat is not the villain, it is what has been done to it that holds the blame. 

Pull up a chair and gather 'round. It's time to restore bread to its rightful place at the table and it's time for America to return to something that has been lost in the hustle and bustle - Wholesome Family Meals. 

Grab some bread, and while it warms for a few minutes in the oven, set the table. The return of nostalgia and family is here - the Bespoke Kitchen awaits. 

~Elizabeth